Subject of Possible Rule Making: WAC 246-915-120 Applicants from unapproved schools.

     Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 18.74.023.

     Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The board recognizes that many foreign trained physical therapists may be qualified practitioners. Rather than universally exclude graduates of foreign physical therapy education programs from obtaining licensure in Washington, the board and participating stakeholders find it to be an equitable, safe option to require graduates of unapproved schools to show evidence of having obtained the minimum training and coursework required of graduates of approved physical therapy programs. Rules are required to establish the minimum coursework for physical therapy education for applicants that have graduated from unapproved schools. The minimum coursework standard is derived from the coursework evaluation tool developed by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy's Foreign Educated Physical Therapist Committee.

     Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.

     Process for Developing New Rule: Collaborative rule making.

     Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Department of Health, Kris Waidely, Program Manager, P.O. Box 47868, Olympia, WA 98504-7868, (360) 236-4847, (360) 664-9077.

February 13, 2004

Kris Waidely

Program Manager